Of Heroes and Legends
by AlexzOver9000
Summary: 14 year old Natsuko Kukida's mother went missing when she was 5. Ever since then, she's been trying to solve the mystery of her disappearance. It's only thanks to her mother's friend Toshinori that she hasn't completely shut herself off from the world. After meeting Izuku Midoriya and enrolling at U.A. High, she realizes that maybe some burdens weren't meant to be shouldered alone.
1. Natsuko Kukida

OF HEROES AND LEGENDS

Ch. 1 Natsuko Kukida

It was a warm sunny morning when rubble and debris flew haphazardly through the air, narrowly missing the path Natsuko Kukida was walking on. With a single raised eyebrow she looked above, pulling the earbuds from her ears.

 _`Damn.`_ She realized with annoyance that her plans to take the train to school had quite literally been derailed. What seemed to be a giant rampaging shark was stomping around the tracks and smashing everything in his path. _`Another third-rate villain pissed off they sold out of his favorite comic or something. How stupid.`_ As a larger crowd began to gather around her, a boy who seemed to be around her age emerged. He was bursting with excitement as it was clearly etched onto his face. He had wide green eyes that matched his unruly green hair. His freckles only added to his boyish look. Natsuko didn't recognize the logo on the buttons of his typical junior high uniform but realized he must be local if he was heading for the same station.

"Who's fighting him?" he excitedly chirped. Before Natsuko could elicit a response indicating she neither knew nor cared, he answered his own question. "It's Kamui Woods! The popular young superstar!" Many of the people standing nearby quietly expressed awe at the knowledge the boy possessed.

Natsuko scoffed, muttering "You a hero otaku or something?" The boy in question sheepishly grinned, blushing while shaking his head and hands back and forth rapidly.

"Oh, hehe, I, uhh…" They were interrupted by the heroic shout of the hero Kamui.

"Stand down, you big lump of evil. You're charged with unlawful use of a power during commuting hours, as well as battery and robbery. Here's your punishment." Natsuko looked up and squinted, looking at his arms as they began to take on not only the look, but the shape of a tree. The boy next to her began to bounce up and down in excitement.

"Ah! Here it comes! His ultimate preemptive strike…" No sooner had the boy called the attack that it was launched.

"Lacquered chain prison!"

"Canyon canon!" Just when it seemed Kamui had everything all wrapped up, a newcomer emerged launching a massive, oversized kick to the villain. It caused a large tremor that rocked the entire downtown district. The costumed woman was giant and her outfit left little to the imagination following every curve of her body. "Today's my debut! Pleased to meet you all! You can call me Mt. Lady!" She bent over alluringly to pose for the cameras and press that seemed to have their jaws on the ground. Natsuko crossed her arms feeling her left eye twitch as a vein popped out on her forehead. _`Damn perverts.`_ This hero was only a glory hound who used her looks to gain popularity. Natsuko was a bit old fashioned and had some anxiety over the fact that in high school it was standard practice to hike up the uniforms to well above your knees. She wasn't going to be the victim of a windy day like some sad girl in a manga or anime. Natsuko had a bit more class than that. This is also what led Natsuko to the idea that her hero costume would be modest as well. She blushed at even the idea that boys at her school would get to ogle her body whenever they wanted if her costume was the typical female standard. _`Not on my watch bastards.`_ she thought, clenching her fists.

"Gigantification huh...as a quirk it's fairly likely to attract attention and popularity, but isn't it also somewhat limiting since it'd be easier to inadvertently damage the city while on the job?" the green haired boy had spoken up again, interrupting her train of thought to give an analysis of the situation. Natsuko agreed in not so many words as she scoffed and shrugged her shoulders.

"A flashy quirk for a flashy person. Seems about right to me." The boy quickly looked up and nodded in quiet agreeance shocked that she had even dignified him with a response, before going back to his furious notetaking. An older man took notice of the boy's notes and smiled widely.

"You taking notes?! Aiming to be a hero huh? Good luck kid!" Natsuko looked down to the notebook in question. It looked old and worn out from many years of use. Natsuko outwardly rolled her eyes but inside she felt admiration stir within her. If she had the same amount of dedication to her hero studies as this boy then surely she could get into U.A. High on her own instead of relying on Toshinori's recommendation. Natsuko sighed balling her hands into fists at her sides, making her knuckles turn white as a cold feeling settled in her chest. _`I WILL clear mama's name and discover the truth about her disappearance, even if I have to walk through hell and back to do it.`_

* * *

Later that day...

"So class, today we will be handing out the intention forms for high schools. Please be sure to select 3 choices and have this form ready to be returned to me by next week. Natsuko-san I believe you are the only one in the school this year applying to Yuuei High School. Here's the form." The entire room grew quiet as Natsuko took the form from her teacher. A deep blush formed across her face as she quickly sank into her seat. Whispers began to spread like wildfire through the room.

"Ne-ne, I heard it takes a national score of 79 to enter there this year."

"No way, I heard it was 85!"

"I also heard that the entrance exam is really cutthroat." Natsuko sunk further into her seat hoping her hunched shoulders would swallow her completely.

"Oh and Natsuko?" She looked up to her teacher's questioning gaze. "Are you sure you want to defer All-Might's recommendation and take the entrance exam?"

"EHHHHHHHHHH?!" The class erupted in awe as Natsuko slammed her head on her desk with a groan, praying for the school bell to ring.

* * *

"What a snob, rejecting All-Might's recommendation. How ungrateful can you be? She must really think she's better than everyone." Natsuko frowned rolling her eyes as she brushed past the two girls from her class.

"I don't know why. She never uses her quirk. It's probably something really stupid or useless." Rushing out of the school gates and onto the sidewalk Natsuko stretched her alarms above her head, thankful for the half day. She looked up at the birds flying above her head as she tried to forget the commotion her teacher had inadvertently caused. There were in fact, a few students who Natsuko talked to regularly but even they wouldn't understand the complex relationship she shared with the nationally ranked number one hero All-Might. Natsuko scoffed kicking a can. It was just yesterday that she was scolding him for having no food in his house yet again. She swore if she didn't hang around so much he would forget eat and starve to death. ' _Moron…'_ Natsuko quickly ducked into the underpass to take the shortcut to All-Might's or as she called him Toshinori's house. 'Might as well make sure he bought food. Maybe I can make some nabe if he got enough vegeta-"

"It's you again!"

"Huh?" Natsuko quirked an eyebrow up at the boy walking towards her. Her eyebrows rose in surprise at seeing the green-haired fanboy for the second time that day. "Hey Hero Otaku. What-"

"Look out!" He frantically yelled while pushing Natsuko roughly into the wall.

"Hey!" She turned and gasped at the sight before her. A grotesque looking slime being had enveloped most of the boy's body. It had even covered his mouth, clearly restricting his ability to even breathe. Natsuko backed up against the wall in fear.

"Stop wriggling like that. I'm just gonna take control of your body for a lil' time, good? It'll hurt for 45 seconds then the pain will disappear." The slime was oozing everywhere trying to swallow up the boy completely from the inside. Natsuko's eyes widened.

' _Stop it.'_ Natsuko thought as she shook in her spot with her eyes wide in despair. ' _STOP IT. DAMMIT WHY WON'T MY BODY MOVE? I CAN'T EVEN SCREAM PROPERLY!'_ Natsuko squeezed her eyes shut and held her hands so tight that her nails began to dig into the flesh of her palms drawing blood. She quietly gasped snapping her eyes open as a memory pushed it's way forward in her mind

* * *

10 YEARS AGO

"Mama you're bleeding!" A four year old Natsuko exclaimed in fear as she ran into her mother's legs. Her mother however, was unfazed as she sat in the old wooden chair at the dining room table.

"I'm alright dear," she laughed gently as she tenderly ran her hand through Natsuko's shoulder length blonde hair. Natsuko looked up into her mother's lavender eyes which she had inherited.

"See this blood Natsuko?" She nodded with wide eyes. "This blood shows that I fought hard for the people I vowed to protect as a hero. And as long as I still have blood to bleed then I can keep fighting for all the precious people in my life. Understand?" Natsuko scrunched up her nose and stared hard at her mother's still bleeding shoulder before finally locking eyes with her her again.

"I think so mama."

* * *

CLACK! Natsuko snapped out of her reverie as she heard a charred notebook drop to the ground. The boy was struggling more than ever as she stood up tall. She glanced down at her hands now bleeding from her palms. ' _I-I want to be a hero just like you mama.'_ Natsuko steeled herself and took a step forward in defiance.

"I refuse to cower in fear from a guy like you!" She yelled. "You're not even a villain! You're just an overgrown bully going after kids!" A gravelly laugh gurgled forth from the creature before her.

"You got guts kid, but you're too late. His times up!" ' _Oh no!'_ Just when Natsuko thought the boy had finally run out of air…

"I'm here!" A loud and deep voice boomed throughout the tunnel.

"You've gotta be kidding me", Natsuko relented. ' _His timing is impeccable.'_ She sweatdropped.

"Do not worry kid! Texas Smash!" All-Might drew back his arm and swung so hard that just the air from the blow caused not only Natsuko's hair and clothing to blow around her like a typhoon had settled in but the villain to be blown completely off of the boy who had passed out. All-Might crouched in front of him and began to lightly slap his face. "Wake up kid. Hey!" ' _So uncool.'_ Natsuko frowned. "Hey All-Might." Natsuko nonchalantly greeted him with a quick wave of her palm. She knew better than to address him by anything other than All-Might when he was in his hero form.

"Natsu- ah I mean young lady! Are you alright?" Natsuko looked herself over quickly and shrugged.

"Uh, yeah." He smiled that ridiculous smile of his and practically bellowed.

"Excellent! I'm glad to see that no harm came to you!" Natsuko walked closer to the pair on the ground.

"What about him? Should we take him to a hospital?" It seemed however that Natsuko spoke too soon as the boy slowly came to.

"I'm really sorry you got involved in my removal of the villain." The boy seemed to go into shock at All-Might's admission of guilt. "You seem to be doing well. This is the most important." Completely starstruck by this point, the boy was in a daze as All-Might continued, "Anyway, it's thanks to you and the young lady that I have succeeded so thank you! I did a checkmate without problem, at the end! He exclaimed holding up a soda bottle holding the slimy villain inside. Natsuko nearly did a double take. ' _Wait. When did he…?'_ All-Might exited the underpass as they followed and looked ready to leave them where they stood. This seemed to snap the boy out of his daze as he frantically began searching for something.

"I forgot! C-Can I have your autograph? Ah, on my notes…Please!" He ripped open his notebook and to his shock, All-Might was already one step ahead of him having already signed it. "Wow! T-Thank you so much! What a treasure! It'll be my this family heirloom!" ' _Geeze'_ , Natsuko sweatdropped. ' _So uncool.'_ All-Might continued his large stride down the street.

"Now I have to bring this fellow to the authorities! Check out my exploits on TV, kids!" All-Might bent over to stretch as the boy struggled to speak.

"What…? Is that it…? But I still…" All-Might crouched down and Natsuko knew what was coming next. She backed up to to not get caught in All-Might's whirlwind. The green-haired boy however had different plans. Before she could stop him All-Might leapt into the sky in a single mighty bound. Natsuko held onto her skirt in the rough gust of wind, scowling in their wake. ' _That Idiot!'_ Natsuko did her best to follow but they were long gone. She knew Toshinori had to be close to his limit and she had no idea what would happen if the boy were to see him in such a state. Natsuko considered using her quirk to try to catch up to them but decided against it. Even if she could move faster, she had no idea where they ended up. Natsuko surveyed her surroundings realizing she had ended up back in town. ' _Might as well get some groceries. Toshinori never seems to have any food when I come over. Stupid...he needs to keep his strength up.'_

* * *

Natsuko exited the grocery store with a bag of vegetables, potatoes, and some beef in hopes it would be enough to make nabe and curry for the next few days. "Oh my god! What do we do?!" Voices carried to Natsuko's ears as she rounded the corner to see utter chaos unfolding before her. She pushed her way to the front of the crowd. ' _No way! It can't be! Toshinori already took care of this guy-unless…'_ She quickly scanned the sky above. ' _This is bad. If he's not here that means he's reached his limit! This better not not be that stupid kid's fault!'_ Natsuko bit her lip and clenched her fists feeling useless as the pro heroes did their best to hold off the villain. ' _It's no use. None of their quirks can stop him.'_

"Is- is that a child being held hostage?" A woman questioned. Natsuko whipped her head up and sure enough, a boy with blonde hair about her age could just barely be seen through the muck. By the looks of it he wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer either. Natsuko inched forward shaking. ' _I-I'm afraid but...I can't just do nothing again. Mama please watch me. I'll make you proud.'_ Just as Natsuko dropped her bags and made to move in, a blur went by her. The crowd began cheering.

"A hero who can stop this guy! Finally!" Someone shouted.

"Wait! It's another kid!"

"Get out of there! Leave this to the professionals!" Natsuko couldn't believe her eyes. The same punk from earlier was now running right into danger head first. Natsuko hesitated with baited breath as the boy...threw his bag? Natsuko couldn't help but sweatdrop at what she had just seen.

"You moron! What are you thinking?! Use your quirk!" Natsuko shouted in anger. She ran forward no longer able to watch the shit show transpire before her any longer. The villain had rounded on the boy even while suffocating the other who seemed to be at his limit. ' _Okay Natsuko. All you have to do is touch the the boys and get out. One touch is all you need and then you can get out of there.'_ She had just latched onto the green haired boy but realized she had severely miscalculated how fast the villain was. The boy sat terrified facing his doom and now she had no choice but to either save him and herself or die trying to reach the other boy as her window of opportunity closed rapidly. ' _SHIT! I'M NOT GONNA MAKE IT!'_ She extended her arm as far as possible but the villain reached out from his body enveloping her left arm in muck. He began to pull her in as she panicked when suddenly a thunderous rumble rocked the ground she stood on. Slowly she turned to see that All-Might had arrived. He grabbed onto the boy trapped in the Villain and Natsuko luckily was able to latch on as well.

"The lesson I left you with...I should practice what I preach! A pro should always be ready to risk his life!" Blood was seeping out of All-Might's mouth and it worried Natsuko. He must be pushing past his limit. All-Might reared his arm back and gave a mighty yell. "DETROIT SMASH!" The power of his blow was so strong that the villain blew right off of Natsuko and the boy and rain began to fall. Natsuko let go of the boys and held her hands out feeling the water slip between her fingers. Her eyes were large and she stood in awe. ' _No way…'_

"He changed the weather with a single punch!"

"Amazing. That's All-Might!"

After All-Might's massive display of power the other heroes gathered up the villain's body for custody. The heroes berated Natsuko and the green haired boy for meddling where they shouldn't have. Natsuko huffed, crossing her arms at her chest. ' _At least I had a plan…'_

Once the chaos had died down, the green haired boy formally introduced himself as Izuku Midoriya. Natsuko returned the favor and they soon discovered they were indeed the same age and both planned to enroll at UA High. The two walked and talked-well Natsuko listened as Midoriya talked at a million miles a minute it seemed.

"Hey Deku!" They both stopped to see who had yelled but Midoriya already knew without having to turn. His shoulders sunk as he was berated. "I never asked you to save me!" Bellowed an angry blonde. His rage was so palpable it was like he was literally going to explode.' _What an ingrate.'_ Natsuko thought to herself. "As if you could! Huh?! Well?! I could've beaten him myself. How dare a quirkless failure like you pity me. Trying to win me over?! Don't you dare mock me!" Natsuko frowned gritting her teeth. "And you!" He shouted, pointing at Natsuko. "I especially don't need to be saved by a girl! You were just as useless as he was! You might as well give up that dumb fantasy of yours because I'M going to be the greatest hero ever known!" Natsuko frowned raising her fist.

"Hey Dumbass! This useless girl and quirkless loser just showed you up in front of hundreds of people. Try showing some gratitude!" The boy froze and huffed before angrily huffing and stomping away. Natsuko smirked before thinking back on what the blonde had said. ' _Was Midoriya really quirkless? Man he's dumber than I thought!, she sweat dropped.'_ As Midoriya and Natsuko rounded the corner a figure appeared out of the blue.

"I AM HERE!" he sputtered coughing up blood while reverting to his far less impressive form. Natsuko and Midoriya nearly jumped out their skin as All-Might appeared.

"Tosh-er All-Might!" Natsuko corrected herself quickly. "What are you doing here?" She briefly panicked but realized Midoriya must have seen him in this form already. Toshinori stopped, not expecting Natsuko to be there but turned to address Midoriya next to her.

"Kid. I've come to thank you and revise what I said earlier…" he trailed off and Natsuko couldn't help but wonder what they had previously spoken about. "I also have a proposal." Natsuko gasped and looked back at Toshinori from Midoriya. ' _He couldn't be...could he?'_

"I got in your way…" Midoriya looked dejected at the ground. "Even though I'm quirkless I dared to ask if…"

"Exactly!" All-Might interrupted. "Of all the people at the scene, it was only you, timid and quirkless who acted. You spurred dear Natsuko and me to action!" Natsuko smiled softly while Midoriya looked on in awe. "Most of the top heroes show signs of greatness even as children. Many of them claim that their bodies moved before they could think. That's what happened to you back there right?" Midoriya bent forward collapsing while clutching his chest in what seemed to be pain and started to sob so deeply he gave large shuddering breaths.

"Yes." was all he could manage from his position facing the ground. Natsuko frowned and sunk to her knees, reaching for Midoriya's shoulder.

"You idiot. Don't you realize what he's saying?" she glanced up at Toshinori as if to confirm what she truly believed to be true in that moment even with all the odds stacked against this quirkless loser. He nodded subtly confirming her unasked question and she looked back at Midoriya with determination and resolve shining in her eyes. It was a look Toshinori would go to hell and back just to see again after her mother passed.

"YOU CAN BE A HERO!" They shouted in unison.

 ***Author's Notes***

Hey everyone! Alexz here. This is my first MHA ff and I'd really love to get feedback on it. With Natusko I'm trying really hard not to make her a Mary Sue. A lot of her story will revolve around her mother and her past so please look forward to it! As for her relationship with Midoriya, I'm aiming for a brother/sister one. P.S. I didn't reveal her quirk on purpose but maybe some of you can guess from the hints I left ;)


	2. Ten Months

Ch. 2 Ten Months

* * *

7 Years Ago

"I don't understand…" Natsuko frowned in confusion. "Quirks aren't presents. Mama said my quirk was always inside me." Toshinori smiled wistfully with his eyes closed as he put a massive palm on 7 year old Natsuko'd head. Crouching, he was currently eye-level with Natsuko.

"Your mom was right. It's just that I didn't have a quirk inside me. So a very dear friend gave me one." Natsuko however wasn't going to let him off that easy.

"But HOW? I wanna share my quirk with my friends!" Toshinori beamed at her.

"Well that is very noble of you Natsu-chan but I'm afraid only this quirk works that way." Natsuko frowned. "This quirk can be passed to many people and each time it gets passed to someone new it gets stronger." Natsuko's eyes were shining in excitement.

"Can you give it to me?! I want be like you and be super strong!" She flexed her arms widely and Toshinori frowned.

"I wish I could Natsu-chan but I have to save this quirk for...a special person."

"But...aren't I special Toshi?" Natsuko lowered her arms looking close to tears and Toshinori faltered waving his hands back and forth. The last thing he wanted to do was make a 7 year old cry.

"W-well of course you are Natsu-chan! But you already have a quirk and it's already very special don't you think?" Natsuko smiled brightly wiping her eye.

"Yeah! The same as Mama's! She was soooo strong. I guess you're right. If I had One for...ummm"

"One For All."

"Yeah! One For All then I would be too powerful!" Toshinori gave a hearty laugh.

"Yes, I suppose you would be."

"Toshi?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you give One For All to someone who has no quirk like you?" Toshinori hugged Natsuko to his chest and she welcomed it, embracing him with all her strength.

"I'm not sure what will happen in the future but I think that's a great idea."

* * *

Present Day

Natsuko yawned widely while stretching her arms above her head.

"Why are we here at 6 a.m. again?" Natusko sat perched on top of an old fridge that Midoriya was attempting to pull across the sand.

"Young Midoriya is an ill-suited vessel." All-Might quipped. Midoriya squawked at the jab. "My quirk, One for All, binds the physical strength of many people into one! Your limp noodle body isn't ready for it. Your limbs would pop right off!" All-Might chortled.

"My limbs!" Midoriya screamed. Natusko yawned again, hopping off the fridge.

"Well, as fun as this is, I'm pretty sure I can count the grains of sand the fridge has moved across."

"Hey!" Midoriya yelled. Natsuko shrugged looking absolutely unapologetic.

"Just a minute dear Natsuko." Natsuko stopped and turned to face All-Might. "What is this I hear about you turning down my recommendation for U.A. High?" Natsuko's face reddened and she lowered her head.

"I-I'm sorry Toshinori...I didn't mean to disappoint you or disrespect you. I just sort of...wanted to do it on my own." Natsuko stood tall gaining more confidence as she spoke. She looked Him dead in the eyes as she said "I want to be accepted into U.A. High on my own merit-not by who I know." Toshinori grinned widely at her, putting a massive hand on her shoulder.

"I expected no less Natsu-chan." Natsko swelled with pride at his remark. _Sniff sniff!_

"What the-" Natsuko peered around Toshinori to see Midoriya with both his eyes and nose running. "What the hell?"

"I'm sorry! It was just so beautiful. I couldn't help but overhear! Please forgive me!" Midoriya wiped his face with his sleeve dramatically and went back to attempting to pull the fridge across the sand. Natsuko's eye twitched. ' _So uncool.'_

"Well, I'm off." Natsuko raised her hand, turning to leave the beach behind her.

"Wait! What about your training? Are you sure you'll be ready for the entrance exam?" Natsuko stopped and turned to Midoriya.

"Don't worry about me idiot. You're the one who has a quirk that could kill you."

"But...what IS your quirk?" Natsuko smirked at him and tuned again.

"I'll be just fine." Midoriya stood in awe of her. ' _So cool!'_

"All-Might, is her quirk that powerful?" He turned to Midoriya with a serious look on his face.

"Her quirk is the same as her mother's. I knew her mother and she had the strongest quirk I have ever seen. If Natsuko continues to develop her quirk then I have no doubt that she will one day surpass even her mother's abilities. Natsuko may come off as lazy but she works very hard to improve her abilities. Unfortunately, the nature of her quirk doesn't help the fact that she's not much of a team player. As a hero you need to be able to work well and efficiently with others. It's a...weakness of hers."

"I see…"

"Welp! It's time to get back to your training young Midoriya! This beach isn't going to clean itself!"

* * *

July 15th- Midoriya's Birthday

Natsuko dramatically pulled down the dress she was wearing as she stood at the front door of Midoriya's house.

"I don't understand why we're even here!" Natsuko grumped frowning.

"Why, it's young Midoriya's birthday!" All-Might smiled brightly.

"Yeah, I got that part but why are WE here?"

"Something tells me he doesn't have many friends." Natsuko scoffed. ' _Pfft! What gave you that idea?'_ she thought, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Can you even hold that form long enough for this? I'm not explaining to his family why you're not all big and muscle-y anymore."

"Fear not, dear Natsu-chan! I know my limit and if necessary I shall GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!" He struck a dramatic pose with his arms pointing diagonally to the sky.

"Yeah…" Natsuko sweatdropped. "But is it really smart to reveal to random strangers that you're associated with me and Midoriya?" He froze at that and scratched his head.

"Of course! I can always count on you be ever vigilant!" That was when the door swung open to reveal a plump woman who Natsuko could only assume was Midoriya's mom. She had green hair and wide green eyes much like her son. In fact, the resemblance was so strong she nearly laughed.

"Hello! You must be Natsuko and EH?! Who's this?!" With a dramatic cough, a much smaller Toshinori stepped forward.

"Hello. My name is Toshinori Yagi and this is my erm, ward, Natsuko Kukida."

"Oh! It's so nice to meet you. I know we spoke on the phone but I realized I never even got your name! Please come in." Natsuko bowed politely and then shuffled in, leaving her shoes at the door. Looking around, Midoriya's place was simple but homey. It was much warmer than Natsuko's place or even Toshinori's for that matter.

"My goodness you are beautiful! And I love this dress! You have great taste!" Natsuko could hear Toshinori's snicker from across the room and shot him a glare with as much killing intent as she could muster.

"Izuku! Where are you? Your friends are here!" Loud footsteps came from the hall and Midoriya barreled into the room.

"Natsuko! Toshinori! Thank you for coming! It means a lot to me." Midoriya smiled so widely Natsuko couldn't help but smile back.

"Well duh, if we didn't show up who would have?"

"Of course we came kid." Natsuko, Midoriya, Toshinori, and Inko spent the evening watching a summer TV special on heroes (of course Midoriya's choice), smashing a watermelon in the backyard, and playing a strategy board game (Inko and Natsuko won). Finally it was time for cake and presents. As Inko brought out the modest cake that she had obviously made herself, Natsuko wondered why it had so many candles. It wasn't until it was set down before them that she realized it had her own name on it as well.

"What?! I don't understand! My birthday is-"

"Oh relax dear! Toshinori told us your birthday was in two days. We three figured we could just celebrate your birthdays together!" Natsuko pointed angrily at Toshinori.

"You knew this whole time?! Is that why I had to wear this dress?!" Toshinori shrugged nonchalantly.

"What? I couldn't have the birthday girl showing up looking like a mess."

"And you!" She whipped her finger over to Midoriya who looked ready to run for the hills. "You knew too?!"

"Err...well sort of. We figured if you knew you may not come." Natusko couldn't argue with their reasoning but still felt upset she had been bamboozled into attending her own surprise party.

"Okay then! Let's blow out these candles!" Inko announced "On the count of three!"

"ONE" Toshinori yelled.

"TWO" Inko yelped.

And in unison they shouted "THREE!" Midoriya and Natsuko looked at each other leaning over the cake for a moment before they both gave tiny smiles and a shrug to each other. From opposite sides of the cake they blew out all 30 candles packed onto the surface.

"Yay!" Inko shouted snapping pictures like paparazzi. "Now time for presents!"

"Ah but I didn't get Midoriya anything!" Natsuko panicked.

"Oh don't worry about that. You guys coming is present enough and on top of that you had no idea we'd be doing all this." Midoriya smiled apologetically. "I hope you don't mind but I got you something." Midoriya ran off and then quickly returned holding a flat wrapped package. He handed it gently to Natsuko who only stared at it before looking up at Toshinori beside her.

"Well? Open it!" He laughed

"Oh! Right!" She carefully tore the All-Might themed wrapping off what was revealed to be a blue notebook. Inko snapped another picture and Midoriya took that moment to speak up.

"Its a hero catalogue! Like mine without the burnt part! I just put all the pro heroes since I tend to go a bit overboard and write down every person with a quirk that I see. I noticed you looking at it when we first met and since we're both going to U.A. I just thought that maybe you'd like a copy to have on hand but if you don't like it I can-" Natsuko reached up and slammed her palm over his mouth.

"I love it. Thank you Midoriya." Natsuko hugged it tightly to her chest. It was the first birthday gift Natsuko had received from anyone since her mother passed away and secretly she hoped it wouldn't be the last.

* * *

Christmas

A new school term came and went with Christmas around the corner. Natsuko and Toshinori had made plans to spend Christmas Eve at the Midoriya home but those plans fell through. All-Might was needed for an emergency a few cities over after an earthquake struck a small town. To make matters worse, Inko had a terrible cold. Natsuko walked side by side with Midoriya as an unusual silence fell upon them. With only two months until the entrance exam, there was no doubt that Midoriya's mind was focused on that.

"Hey, ummm…" Natsuko broke the silence doubting herself for the hundredth time within the last twenty minutes. Midoriya snapped out of his daze to gaze at her as they walked. "I'm sorry about your mom being sick. That must be hard." Natsuko couldn't really say she knew the feeling since she mainly relied on herself for everyday tasks like cooking and cleaning. Midoriya immediately began to shake his head waving his arms.

"Ah no! I mean, yeah it is but mom is always pushing herself so much. She deserves to rest. I can't help but feel like it's sort of my fault. I guess what i'm saying is that I should be picking up more slack since mom's been overcompensating because I've been training so much. I'm really sorry you and Toshinori can't come over."

"Er...don't worry about it. Toshi is busy with hero work anyways." Natsuko waved off his worries with a scoff. She stopped abruptly at the edge of the sand that covered Midoriya's training beach. "I have something for you."

"Huh?" Midoriya looked up at her in wonder. Her cheeks reddened significantly. "I-it's not anything major so don't freak out." She shuffled her bag off her shoulders and pulled out a bento with a pink wrap that had bunnies on it in one hand and a wrapped box in the other. I just made your mom some soup and I got you a thanks."

"Wow really? Mom will be so happy! She really loves your cooking. She insists you're better than her at it. A-and you got me a gift! That's so nice of you Natsuko. I feel so embarrassed I didn't get you anything! Please forgive me!" Midoriya bowed profusely over and over looking like a broken wind up toy.

"Hey!" Natsuko bonked him lightly on the head with his gift and softened her face. "Just think of it as a super late birthday gift. Then we're even. Alright?" He nodded and she once again offered the items which he took carefully from her. After watching him put away the soup carefully she tapped her foot impatiently waiting. Midoriya looked at her confused. "WELL WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? OPEN THE GIFT!"

"YES MA'AM!" he yelped, tearing it open. Inside was a long piece of blue fabric. His eyes lit up immediately. "NO WAY! IS THIS ALL-MIGHT'S CAPE?!" he shrieked. Natsuko smiled at his excitement.

"I thought you'd like it. But don't get your panties in a twist. He's got like a million of them. I just swiped one from his house." She dismissed.

"THIS IS THE GREATEST GIFT ANYONE HAS EVER GOTTEN ME! I'LL CHERISH IT FOREVER!" He glomped onto her, causing her to freeze. The only person who ever touched her like this was Toshi and even still, those occasions were becoming rare. She quickly shoved him off.

"Yeah well don't say I never did anything for you now."

"You know...you could still come over for Christmas. It's gotta be lonely being on your own."

"Nah...I'm used to it. I mean Toshi tries but he can't always be there," she shrugged.

"Natsuko...can I ask you something?" She glanced at him sensing his dread.

"Sure," she replied cautiously.

"What happened to your parents?" It was silent as snow began to fall. Natsuko held her palms out to catch a few flakes that immediately melted upon contact. She was silent for so long that Midoriya didn't think she was going to answer him. "I-I'm sorry. That was ru-"

"My mom…" Natsuko began. She walked forward but Midoriya stayed in place so that he was facing her back. "She's the greatest hero I've ever seen. She always helped everyone she could no matter what the sacrifice." Natsuko stared out at the calm sea ahead of her. "When I was seven mom got a call from someone. I don't know who but I know it was important. It was right before my bedtime and she got up and put me to bed before we had even finished reading our story together. It was odd for her to be on hero duty that late so I went to her room out of curiosity. What I saw scared me. She just sat there on the edge of her bed staring at herself in the mirror crying."

* * *

8 Years Ago

Yukari snapped out of her daze as her 7, soon-to-be eight year old daughter stood with wide eyes at her bedroom door. She wiped her face quickly while sniffing and standing up.

"I'm so sorry Nat-chan. I didn't mean to scare you." She picked up her daughter holding her close to her chest.

"Mama I'm not scared," Natsuko denied. "You are! Why?" Yukari sighed sitting back on the bed with Natsuko in her lap.

"I have to go help my friends fight a very strong villain. It will be very dangerous."

"Yeah but All-Might will be there right? He's super strong too like you so you'll be okay right?!" Natsuko's smile faltered as her mother remained silent. "Mama please don't go," Natsuko whimpered. Yukari finally beamed at her and kissed her nose. She sat her on the bed as she stood up tall.

"I have to. It's my job as a hero. I promise I will come back to you Natsuko! Plus Ultra!" With a thumbs up and a bright smile she was gone. Natsuko sat for hours waiting for her mother. After dawn Natsuko finally drifted asleep. As the morning sun shone brightly through the curtains, Natsuko awoke expecting her mom to be battered and beaten, asleep at the kitchen table as she often was after a tough battle. However, to Natsuko's dismay, she wasn't there. The house remained silent.

"Mama! Where are you?!" Natsuko wailed. Pacing the kitchen Natsuko decided there was nothing to do but wait. And wait she did. It was around noon that she decided to make herself a bowl of cereal because she realized she hadn't eaten since the night before. And then she began to wait again. Natsuko sat in silence for weeks waiting to hear from her mother while living off boxes of cereal with no milk. Finally, Natsuko dragged herself to the TV and turned it on. Perhaps a new report could shed some light on what had happened. She saw All-Might and some of her mother's other friends but no sign of her mother. That night Natsuko cried herself to sleep for the first time.

* * *

Present Day

Natsuko sighed coming to the end of her story.

"I never saw her again after that. She just vanished."

"But...wasn't All-Might with her?! Why didn't-" Natsuko sighed interrupting Midoriya.

"Toshi won't tell me what happened that day no matter how many times I ask. I do have a theory though." Natsuko said holding a single finger up. She turned looking at Midoriya for the first time with shining eyes. "I think that day is the day Toshi received THAT injury." Midoriya gasped at her revelation with wide eyes. "I can't say for sure, but I think maybe something happened to my mom other than her dying. Otherwise...he'd tell me. No, she's somewhere but he won't tell me- or maybe he doesn't know either. I believe this because he knows I'd go looking if he gave me even the slightest idea that he thought she was still out there somewhere. I vow to become a hero so that I can track down that villain to find my mom and finally bring her home." Midoriya suddenly saw Natsuko in a different light. She tried not to show it but she had so many struggles that he would never understand. She was by far one of the bravest people he had ever met. "As for my father…" She clenched her fists closing her eyes. "He's a no-good coward! I don't even know who he is but I swear if I ever do find him I'll kick his ass! Mama tried so hard to never show that she was sad about him but I knew she was. He better hope I never find him." Natsuko huffed. Midoriya began to laugh at how worked up she had gotten. She looked at him shocked he'd laugh after pouring out her heart to him.

"S-sorry!" He stuttered through his laughter. "You just s-sounded like Kacchan so much just now!" Natsuko joined in with him thinking back to Midoriya's acquaintance with the fiery temper, forgetting all about the fact she would be spending Christmas alone.

*Author's Notes*

This took a little longer than I wanted. This was going to be the entrance exams too but I forgot there's almost a year that passes in chapter 2 of the manga so I wanted to at least give you guys a snapshot of that year instead of just saying 10 months later *spongebob cue card guy voice*.

Fun fact: I totally chose Natsuko's birthday by thinking of a random month and day. When I looked up Midoriya's it was two days before and at that point it just felt like destiny and I had to write a birthday one-shot. Also, I just randomly thought of Yukari's name which interestingly has a few meanings like the kanji that reads as purple light (the color of her eyes) and the hiragana that means connection (I can't explain this one just yet). But yeah, I thought that was also super cool because it was also random.

LAST NOTE I SWEAR: I need help with Natsuko's hero name and costume design. If I like it I'll definitely use it and give you credit. Of course her quirk hasn't been revealed yet, but that will change in the next chapter! Please look forward to it! Oh and please leave me a review! I promise I won't bite :)


	3. Practical Exam

Ch. 3 Practical Exam

February 26th. The day of the U.A. High Practical Exam. Natsuko was a nervous wreck but she couldn't let anyone know that. Today was the day she'd find out if she had made the right choice in turning down All-Might's recommendation to the school. After bundling up in a scarf and coat, Natsuko met Midoriya at their usual spot and hurried to the school. Midoriya was also clearly nervous as he flew through the gates.

"Move aside Deku!" ' _Well, Bakugo seems to be in a FANTASTIC mood this morning.'_ Natsuko thought to herself rolling her eyes. Natsuko roughly shoved past Bakugo smirking as he scowled.

"Watch where you're going bombs for brains!" She shouted catching up to Midoriya. "Slow down idiot or you'll tri-" ' _And there he goes.'_ Natsuko sighed as she witnessed him jolt forward and then suddenly stop suspended in air. ' _What the hell?'_

"It's my quirk. Sorry for stopping you but...well it's a bad omen to trip and fall." It was a short brown haired girl with pink cheeks who spoke. She held Midoriya's arm while he floated to an upright position. ' _Interesting.'_ Natusko thought as she calmly approached the two.

"Sorry about him," Natsuko huffed. "I told him to slow down," she said exasperated as she bonked him on the head with a gentle fist. The girl smiled brightly.

"Oh! Don't worry about it. This is really nerve-wracking." Natsuko sighed.

"I suppose it is…" She reluctantly agreed.

"Ya...Uh...Um…" Midoriya was in a full-blown stutter at that point. ' _I think she broke him. Idiot…'_ Natsuko sighed rolling her eyes as she dragged him away by the back of his jacket.

"Good luck to all three of us!" The girl smiled waving.

"Hey! Wipe that stupid look off your face! We need to concentrate when we get inside." He straightened up and put on a serious face nodding to Natsuko. Once they made it inside the much warmer lecture hall they realized that the hero Present Mic was waiting to start. ' _Woah. I didn't realize there would be this many applicants.'_ Natsuko frowned looking around at the masses surrounding her and Midoriya. ' _AWW MAN DID I BLOW IT TURNING DOWN THE RECOMMENDATION?!'_ Natsuko had the sudden urge to pull her hair out by its' roots.

"Welcome to today's live performance! Everybody say hey!" Natsuko rolled her eyes as Present Mic's enthusiasm was met with crickets which was rather impressive considering how many students were packed into the large hall. Nevertheless he remained undeterred. Well, that's cool, my examinee listeners! I'm here to present the guidelines of your practical! Are you ready?!" Again, he was met with silence. ' _Jeez. I hope all the staff at U.A. isn't like this.'_ Natsuko frowned propping her head up on her palm. She glanced over to Midoriya who looked like he was going to spasm out of his seat. She rolled her eyes. ' _Well at least HE'S getting at kick out of this.'_ "This is how the test will go, my listeners! You'll be experiencing ten-minute-long 'mock urban maneuvers'! Bring along whatever you want! After this presentation, you'll each head to your assigned testing location!"

As he explained, images giving them a better idea of what we'd be doing appeared on the screens behind him. "Each site is filled with three kinds of faux villains. Points are awarded each according to their respective difficult letter. Use your quirk to disable these faux villains...and earn points, that's your goal listeners! Of course, playing the antihero and attacking other examiners is prohibited." Natsuko feigned boredom but she was listening very carefully. ' _Using our quirks right out of the gate huh? Sounds almost like a free for all. This could get dangerous.'_ She thought narrowing her eyes. Suddenly a hand shot up in the crowd.

"There appear to be no fewer than FOUR varieties of faux villains on this handout. Such a blatant error, if it is one, is highly unbecoming for U.A., Japan's top academy! We're all here today in hopes of being molded into model heroes!" ' _Eesh. What's up this guy's ass?'_ Natsuko was unimpressed as the boy stood glaring at Present Mic. "And, you, with the curly hair!" He suddenly whipped around pointing at Midoriya as everyone's eyes followed. "You've been muttering this whole time, it's distracting! If this is some sort of game to you, then please leave immediately!" ' _Who the hell does this guy think he is?!'_ Natsuko was furious and she nearly jumped out her seat to berate the bespectacled boy. Midoriya gripped her arm stopping her before she could do anything rash. With a sigh she pushed her seat forward and settled back down. Midoriya squeaked out a 'sorry' to the boy and that was the end of the confrontation for now.

"Alright, alright. Examinee 7111, nice catch! Thanks! But the fourth faux Villain gives you 0 points! It's more like an obstacle! Have you all played Super Mario Brothers? It's kind of like a Thwomp. Only one at each site! A "gimmick" that'll rampage around in close quarters!" Natsuko ran the stipulations of the exam through her head. ' _Three types of villains to score points and one to avoid. Should be simple enough...but with only ten minutes I better focus on villains worth higher point values.'_

"Got it...So it's like a stage gimmick to be avoided. Really is like a video game then. Thank you, sir. I apologize for the interruption!" The boy with glasses sat down abruptly.

"That's all from me! I'll leave my listeners with our school motto. The great hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said, "True heroism consists in being…" And that was when Natsuko tuned him out till they were released outside.

Now wearing a loose-fitting sweatsuit and fingerless gloves, Natsuko stretched her arms wide. She had, by luck of the draw, ended up at the same starting point as Midoriya and the girl who had saved him from tripping earlier. He began to make his way towards her when he was stopped by the boy with glasses from earlier. Natsuko couldn't make out what was being said but she could see the distress on Midoriya's face all too clearly. She began to make her way over to them but before she could even take five steps the test began and people sprinted out of the large gates. ' _SHIT'_ Natsuko took off after them yelling to Midoriya as she passed him.

"Let's go!" The area was huge- much larger than Natsuko anticipated. But with only ten minutes she had no time to gawk. Ahead of her was someone smashing a mechanical "villain" worth two points to pieces. ' _Now!'_ Natsuko took a running start and leapt into the air. Suddenly, she disappeared and reappeared right in front of the villain's head with her foot pointed at it's head. With the force of her kick the villain's head snapped clean off rendering it disabled. She landed on the ground skidding to a halt.

"Hey! I totally had that guy!" A disgruntled boy with wings on his back shouted. Natsuko shrugged running backwards toward her next target.

"Snooze you lose!" She yelled. ' _That's two!'_ She spied a three point villain and another two point one not much farther ahead. She disappeared again only to appear mid air above the villain landing a powerful downward kick nearly slicing it in half. She softened her landing by doing a backhandspring before disappearing again and reappearing in front of another applicant and landing a massive roundhouse kick into the villain destroying that one as well.

"Watch it! Those were my points!" Natsuko stood tall and shrugged her shoulders.

"Really? I couldn't tell," She laughed. Before the guy could lunge at her she disappeared, onto her next target.

All-Might frowned in his seat. ' _It's true that the rules are pretty much anything goes but...this is just downright unsportsmanlike.'_ He sat quietly with the principal as they watched Natsuko closely on the monitors. It was clear she had a strategy. Wait till the others did most of the work and then swoop in to claim the points after delivering the final blow. It was clever but still didn't sit right with him. Nezu finally spoke after a moment of deep thought.

"Perhaps we should deduct points for this sort of conduct? It IS an efficient strategy but most unbecoming of a hero in training wouldn't you say? We want to see our prospective students working together." All-Might frowned deeply at the thought of having to tell Natsuko she didn't pass the practical exam. ' _Come on. You're a clever kid. I know you can figure this out.'_

Natsuko heaved a heavy breath with her hands on her knees, allowing herself a moment's' rest. ' _Okay so that's thirty-six points. I've got about four minutes left, give or take so-'_ Her train of thought was interrupted as a massive villain rose from the ground right behind her. ' _HOLY CRAP! This is the villain worth zero points?!'_ Participants began running in the opposite direction of the monstrosity screaming and yelling. Natsuko turned to use her quirk when she smashed into someone roughly causing her to fall.

"Midoriya!?" She stood quickly while he froze in terror. "You idiot!" She yelled over the chaos. "We need to move!" She grabbed onto his arm dragging him away from the threat of being stepped on.

"Ow!" An almost imperceptible cry rang out reaching their ears. Midoriya halted causing Natsuko to jolt backwards at the sudden dead weight. She looked past Midoriya to see the friendly brown-haired girl trapped underneath rubble right in the path of the mega sized villain. Natsuko paled at the sight. ' _Think Natsuko! Ugh! If I use my quirk I'll just be putting myself in danger of being squashed! I'm too close to my limit!'_ Suddenly, Midoriya surged forward ripping his arm out of Natsuko's grasp. He crouched low before springing high in the air. ' _That idiot. He's using One for All. His body can't even handle that yet.'_ Even still, she could only watch in awe as he reared his arm back exerting so much power that his sleeve ripped clean off. Reaching forward he delivered a blow so powerful that the entire front half of the villain smashed inward and then blew to pieces collapsing to the ground below. A blanket of silence fell around her as every stood amazed at the raw power he had displayed. He was so high up she had to shield her eyes from the sun to to see him.

Natsuko frowned immediately. Midoriya was falling rapidly to the ground. ' _What are you doing moron? Use another-'_ her eyes widened in panic now that she could see his arm. It was a grotesque purple color flapping around in the wind as if there were no bones in it. Natsuko's stomach flipped at the sight of it. ' _Just as I thought. His body can't handle so much power yet.'_ Natsuko quickly looked around her at the other students remembering all the quirks she had seen. Her eyes finally landed on the girl Midoriya had sacrificed himself for. ' _Perfect. But I have to move fast.'_ Natsuko teleported to the girl working with her to lift the heavy debris.

"Hey. If I can get us closer to him do you think you have one more use of your quirk in you?" The girl thought it over quickly before nodding.

"Y-yeah I can." Natsuko grabbed onto the girl and they teleported to the top of the pile of debris below the boy in peril. Unfortunately, he was too far out of their reach for the girl so Natsuko did the only thing she could to save her friend. She clasped onto the girl's hand and swung wide in a circle. "H-Hey wait a second!" Natsuko ignored her protest and threw her off the edge of the debris. Luckily, she was able to slap Midoriya's face and slow his fall at the last minute. She however, had nothing left to save herself and began to scream as she plummeted down.

With a mighty leap Natsuko teleported to the girl catching her in midair. ' _Crap! I'm at my limit too!'_ Natsuko then teleported them to the ground flipping so that her back would take the brunt on the fall as they skidded to a halt. The girl sat up releasing Midoriya before losing her lunch. Natsuko sat up carefully assessing her injuries. Her back was wasn't broken but probably incredibly bruised and raw. At the last moment Natsuko had reached her limit, unable to land in a way that wouldn't cause bodily harm to one or both of them. Considering it was her idea, it only seemed right she be the one to take the fall- literally.

The entirety of the U.A. staff were cheering loudly behind the scenes at what they had just witnessed. All-Might smiled proudly at both Midoriya and Natsuko for their valiant efforts. ' _Way to go.'_ Principal Nezu turned to All-Might.

"Maybe we can make a hero out of her yet hmm?" He smiled turning back to the monitors.

"IT'S ALL OVER!" Present Mic shouted. Natsuko was panting where she sat and glanced over to Midoriya who looked worse for wear. People stood murmuring and gawking at them on the ground which annoyed Natsuko to no end. Even the annoying kid with glasses and blue hair stood silently watching Midoriya. Natsuko could hear light steps shuffling toward her as a sea of people slowly parted. It was an old lady wearing a white coat that was much too long for her. Her gray hair was up in a bun and her eyes were behind a visor. Her cane was in the shape of a medical needle.

"Well done. Good work all." She stopped in front of Natsuko and stared with a wide smile. She suddenly kissed Natsuko's forehead catching her off guard. ' _What the-'_ A cool, soothing sensation enveloped Natsuko's back and she sighed reaching back to feel the formerly torn skin. Something suddenly clicked in the back of Natsuko's mind.

* * *

Last August

"Recovery Girl? What kind of lame name is that?" Midoriya waved his arms frantically.

"W-well, I'm sure it was much cooler when she was younger but she's very vital to the Pro Heroes even today!" One exasperatingly hot lazy Sunday in August, Midoriya and Natsuko were looking through their hero notebooks, sitting on opposite ends his bed facing each other while they discussed the entries. Actually, it was more Natsuko being critical and Midoriya having a defense for every hero as to why they deserved to be amongst the ranks of Pro Heroes.

"Eh...if you say so…" she trailed off in a bored tone.

* * *

"Recovery Girl..." Natsuko was shocked that she was the one to tend to their injuries.

"Too much like your mother for your own good girlie." And with that she hobbled over to Midoriya to help him. Natsuko was dumbfounded. She hadn't even considered the fact that Recovery Girl would have known her mother.

It wasn't until a week later after trying to reach an inconsolable Midoriya that his mother told Natsuko he had scored a 0 on the practical exam. Natsuko gripped the phone tighter to her ear. ' _What?! How could he have gotten a zero! That idiot!'_ Her heart sank at the thought of going to U.A. without him.

"I'm sorry dear. I just don't think he's ready to see anyone just yet. Try calling again in a few days."

"Yeah...sure thing Midoriya-san." Natsuko sighed hearing the line go dead as Midoriya's mom hung up. Natsuko hung up the phone and went to her room. She flopped dramatically face-first into her pillow. Any day now they would find out their fates. Natsuko was plenty confident but with any situation like this, doubt crept in anyway. ' _I know my count was at thirty-six but was it enough? That guy with the glasses was so fast.'_ She thought back to seeing the boy move incredibly fast with the engine boosters in his calves. He was nearly a blur smashing villain after villain. He was almost as fast as Natsuko but that large villain had cost her quite a bit of time. ' _Ugh! Dammit! Midoriya's classmate Bakugo probably wracked up a crap-ton of points too. His quirk is nothing but raw power.'_ With each passing second Natuko sank further into despair and self-doubt.

*KNOCK KNOCK* Natsuko sat up abruptly. ' _The door? At this time of night?'_ Natsuko padded to the front door and swung it open.

"Toshi? What are you doing here?" He sighed heavily stepping inside while she held the door open wider for him.

"Hey kid...it's been a long day and yours is the last delivery." Toshi raised his hand which was clutching a white envelope addressed to her with the U.A. insignia on it. Natsuko's eyes widened as she took the envelope from him. "Just a warning...yours is a special case. It took us a while to decide what to do about it...and well, I think it's fair." He sat on her couch rubbing the back of his neck in exhaustion. Natsuko's heart dropped to her stomach.

"Wha-what do you mean a special case? I don't understand." Her eyes began to water as panic set in.

"Woah woah! Watch the message and you'll understand." He smiled weakly at her. "I promise." Natsuko frowned deeply and sat next to Toshi while she opened the envelope. Inside was a letter and small disc. Natsuko turned it on only to see All-Might in all his glory looking back at her. He apologized for the delay in receiving results and announced that he would be teaching at U.A.

"What?! Really Toshi?! I swear you're just going to be there to keep tabs on Mi-" She stopped mid sentence frowning. The projection continued on finally getting to the bit about her practical exam results.

"Your combat skills were very impressive! You also displayed amazing control of your quirk at such a young age. Thirty-six points within six minutes is quite the feat." Natsuko smiled at this. "However…" the hologram All-Might began to frown. "We at U.A. are training tomorrow's Pro Heroes. Therefore, we must hold those prospective heroes at a higher standard. Please see here." He pointed to a screen behind him that showed footage of Natsuko jumping in front of other students and stealing their points.

In one clip, she had even unbeknownst to her, tripped another student. Natsuko frowned deeply holding her head down in shame, gripping the couch till her knuckles turned white. ' _What would Midoriya say if he saw this? What would Mama say?'_ Hologram All-Might sighed. "Because of your reckless and unsportsmanlike conduct we decided to deduct 1 point for every villain you received points from during the exam." Natsuko's head shot up in shock.

"Wha-what?' She shot up to her feet tuning to Toshi on the couch beside her. "YOU CAN'T DO THAT! I HAD ONLY HAD THIRTY-SIX POINTS! IF YOU DEDUCT THEN I- I WON'T BE ABLE TO…" she sunk to her knees in despair. "Toshi please!" Toshinori settled his large palm onto her head gently.

"It was out of my hands. But the fat lady hasn't sung yet. Look." He nodded to the hologram of himself.

"Your score was thirty-six! With a deduction of 14 points it goes down to 22 points. Unimpressive by most standards." Natsuko glared angrily at the hologram of All-Might. "But this isn't the end of the story. See here." He again pointed to the screen behind him.

"Oh, it's her…" The friendly brown-haired girl who helped Natsuko and Midoriya appeared. She was speaking to Present Mic.

"Excuse me but um...that curly-haired boy with the freckles...you know the one? He's uh, really plain looking."

"Pfffft!"Natsuko nearly lost it at the unintentional insult to Midoriya. She hated to admit it but she liked this girl.

"Oh, and the blonde-haired girl with the really pretty lavender eyes...the one who looked angry the whole time." Natsuko's attitude flipped like a switch. ' _Why that little...I am NOT angry all the time.'_ Natusko huffed crossing her arms. "Can you give them some of the points I earned?!" Natsuko sat up at attention. ' _What?! She's trying to sacrifice some of her points for us?'_ "At the end he was saying just one point! I heard him! That means he didn't get any right? And the girl, she was doing so well. Much better than me and I bet better than most of the others there too. At least however many points they gave up trying to save me! That boy! He saved my life! And the girl helped me out of the rubble and then came up with the plan to save him!" Suddenly All-Might interrupted.

"This exam you see...We weren't just watching for villain-based points! A hero course that rejects those who do the right thing is no hero course, at all! Think this is all for the cameras?! Think what you want! In this job, you risk your life and put your money where your mouth is!" Turning back to the screen, Present Mic was now patting the girl's head.

"I'm afraid we can't give them your points but there shouldn't be a need for it, my little listener." All-Might again interrupted.

"Rescue points were also a factor here! Another fundamental way for U.A. to evaluate you!"

"What?!" Natsuko practically screeched slamming her hands on the coffee table.

"Sixty points for Izuku Midoriya! Fifty points for Natsuko Kukida! And while we're at it, forty-five rescue points for Ochako Uraraka!" Natsuko had tears in her eyes as she smiled at Toshi.

"Congratulations Natsu-chan. You're in." He gave her an thumbs up as she lunged at his neck to give him a hug.

*Author's Note*

Oh my God I'm the worst. This was supposed to be out forever ago but life has been crazy. I started a new job this month so my schedule is all over the place atm. I really hope you like this one! Natsuko's quirk is teleportation! I have no ideas for a hero costume or name so if you do please share lmao. Although, I'd kind like for her costume to be a little revealing just because she hates that and I like to torment her. Lmao

Last night my husband and I went to see the MHA movie in theaters. It was soooo so good but my god I'm only 26 and 7:30pm felt super late to go see a movie. xD Ummm I think that's it...Please review!


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